Russell Wilson’s career was declared dead after a disastrous stint with the Denver Broncos.
Instead, he’s the No. 1 quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, fresh off a shootout win over a division rival.
Wilson’s resurgence was on full display Sunday as he led the Steelers to a 44-38 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. The point total was Pittsburgh’s most since scoring 52 against the Panthers in 2018. The win kept Pittsburgh (9-3) within a game of the Baltimore Ravens (8-4) for first place in the AFC North.
Wilson was an integral part of Sunday’s offensive explosion on a three-touchdown day. He overcame an early pick 6 that put the Bengals up 7-0.
After the pick 6, Wilson led the Steelers on five consecutive scoring drives that gave the Steelers a 27-27-21 lead. He eventually sealed the win with a 43-yard touchdown pass to Van Jefferson that kept a field goal drive alive and allowed the Steelers to burn off valuable fourth-quarter clock.
Wilson bounces back from an early mistake
The Steelers answered an early pick 6 with a touchdown that ended with George Pickens’ 17-yard touchdown on a screen pass from Wilson. Wilson’s second touchdown was a 23-yard strike to Calvin Austin III. over the top of Cincinnati’s secondary.
In the third quarter, Wilson relied on the mobility that has become his trademark as a Pro Bowler with the Seahawks. Facing pressure on second-and-5, Wilson stepped into the pocket and found Pat Freiermuth sitting in a weak spot in the Bengals’ zone. Freiermuth hauled in a 25-yard touchdown pass to extend Pittsburgh’s lead to 34-24 late in the third quarter.
A defensive touchdown pushed Pittsburgh’s lead to 41-24 before the Bengals put the pressure back on the Steelers with a touchdown pass from Joe Burrow to Tee Higgins.
The Steelers responded with an 11-play, 72-yard field goal drive that ate up 4:46 left in the fourth quarter and extended Pittsburgh’s lead to 44-31. Wilson kept the drive alive on third-and-9 with a 43-yard pass to Van Jefferson in the red zone.
The Bengals answered with a rushing touchdown to cut the deficit to 44-38 with 2:39 remaining. But a failed internal clock allowed the Steelers to run out the clock for the win.